Excruciation

Aeredale - Ch. 3

The moon stood high when Atlas slowed down to a trot, his whole body covered in sweat and steaming. He was breathing loudly.

Eliza's eyes were swollen from crying and her whole body felt empty. Her head kept on replaying the scenes that she had witnessed, all the blood and screams and her home on fire. Her head hung low.

''Where are we going?'' she whispered to her father. Dale sat behind her, one hand still holding her close to him. However, it had started to loosen. So had the rest of his body, as if he were minutes from fainting. Was he that tired?

''Follow this road, Ellie,'' he mumbled. ''It leads to a small village, we can stop there.'' She nodded and continued in silence.

She heard her father groan from the pain in his side. It was still bleeding slightly.

''Who were they?'' Eliza managed to ask after a while. However, when her father responded, it was barely a whisper.

''Raiders, from Doveport.''

''Why would they do this..?'' Dale only shook his head. Eliza looked around.

It was dark, but she could see that the trees were growing smaller. They still stood high and wide with a good 30 meters, but yet smaller than where she usually hunted, where she had grown up to know the terrain like the back of her hand.

The road in front of them shone up when they got to a sign. A lantern hung to it, barely lighting up the worn-off text on the sign.

''Which way?''

Her father didn't respond, instead he steered Atlas onto one of the paths. The horse hesitated in his step forward, clearly wanting to rest rather than continue.

''When we get to the village,'' Dale started, ''I want you to tell the guards our names and what has happened.''

Eliza opened her mouth to protest but her father's words cut her off before she could speak.

''Don't speak against me now, dear. You have to trust them.''

Eliza's upper body shook slightly when Dale's head and bodyweight went limp towards her. Fear and unease washed over Eliza and for a moment, pushed away her thoughts and horrific scenes.

''Father?'' she whispered and pushed back her good shoulder onto her father's body so he would stir. He grunted.

''Don't leave me.'' She gripped his hand that at last had loosened its grip around her body and now laid limp on the saddle.

''I'm so tired,'' he mumbled but straightened his back slightly.

''Don't fall asleep, please.'' Eliza urged on Atlas to go faster. He was tired and didn't obey right away, but still managed to break into a steady gallop.

''Don't fall asleep.''

Atlas stopped more than willingly when Eliza pulled on his reins. They had arrived.

Giant walls were surrounding the village, like a protection, and on top of those walls were watchtowers. A few torches lighted up the towers, barely enough to illuminate the figures of the guards.

''Halt!'' a soldier from the closest tower shouted. He pointed a crossbow at Eliza, so did the other guards. Eliza swallowed hard, mentally preparing her voice and cursing the thought that it might break.

''My name is Eliza Lextus. My father is badly hurt, he needs help.'' She saw the guard straighten his back and pull down his crossbow. The other guards followed suit before he turned around and nodded to someone, and the gates started to open with a long creak.